Grace is led by a team of 9 elected representatives to our Vestry, along with Officers and the Rector.
Our staff supports the Rector in facilitating ministry, worship and care for the whole congregation.
Our staff supports the Rector in facilitating ministry, worship and care for the whole congregation.
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The Reverend R. Scott Painter, RectorThe Rev. R. Scott Painter (he/him) was ordained in 2016 where he first served as Curate to St. Stephen’s in Houston. Before entering ministry as a priest, Scott taught English in public and private high schools. He holds degrees from The University of Houston and the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.
Scott's childhood unfolded in the farmlands of Northwestern Ohio. As the child of a Pentecostal minister, his journey of faith followed a winding road from the church of his parents to, eventually, The Episcopal Church. There, Scott found a compelling embrace of all people and openness to all questions, in a church experience saturated with mystery and transcendence. He loves the way liturgies can gather people together for meaning-making and mission-inspiring, to be God’s people in healing touch with the world. Scott and Tami began their life together in Portland, Oregon, where they were married in 1995. They moved to Houston in 1999 and raised their now-adult son in Texas. Tami (she/her) continues in a nearly thirty-year career in Human Resources and Employee Benefits as a consultant. At Grace, Scott has walked with the beautifully diverse, multicultural, and service-minded congregation into an era of renewal and growth. In 2022, Grace celebrated a reversal of organizational decline and achievement of full “parish” status in the Diocese of Texas—a formal recognition of the spiritual, generational, and financial revitalization that is the new foundation for Grace's bright future. In the past five years, the congregation has grown in Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) by 125% and doubled its budget. More importantly, Grace has grown with folks and families among emerging generations, moved to full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ persons in all areas (lay and ordained) of congregational leadership, and established a growing weekly Spanish-language service and community. |
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The Reverend Leah Wise, CurateLeah (she/her) joined Grace as their Curate in July 2022. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. Originally from Indiana, she grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and attended college at Florida State University, where she majored in Religious Studies.
Leah and her husband, Daniel, moved to Charlottesville, Virginia in 2012 so that Daniel could pursue a Ph.D. in American Religion from the University of Virginia. While there, she worked as a barista and operated an Episcopal Church-affiliated thrift shop. Having grown up in various Evangelical denominations, Leah was confirmed in the Episcopal Church in 2017. She enjoys singing, is passionate about Bible study (and has a great love for the Old Testament), and runs a sustainable fashion blog in her spare time. At Grace, she assists with liturgy, worship, formation, and outreach. She is also the day school's chaplain. |
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The Reverend Dawn Shepler, DeaconDawn (she/her) sensed a call to be a Deacon in 2009 while living in North Carolina. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from Illif School of Theology and was ordained in the Diocese of Colorado in 2017 while serving as a chaplain in Missouri. Dawn is a licensed Chaplain serving mental health patients in Harris County. At Grace, Dawn’s ministry is centered on serving, outreach, and pastoral care.
Dawn is a native Houstonian. After moving and traveling to many places around the US and abroad, Dawn returned to Houston in 2019, bringing her near her adult daughters and their families (including 3 grandchildren). Dawn’s adult son resides in Minneapolis. Dawn says of her calling to ministry: “I have always been a Spirit seeker, and as a deacon, I love helping others connect spiritually within and outside the church.” |
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The Reverend Dr. Alejandro Montes, Assisting PriestThe Reverend Dr. Alejandro Montes is originally from Peru and is a retired priest of the Episcopal Church. He served as the Vicar and then Rector of San Mateo Iglesia Episcopal for more than 20 years. He joined Grace in 2019.
Padre Alejandro has also served as Chaplain in the Houston Police Department and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work of reconciliation and social justice in the community, including March 29 being declared in Houston as “Father Alejandro Montes Day" by the Mayor of Houston. |
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Paul English, Music DirectorPaul English is an internationally recognized composer, pianist, producer and educator. He has performed and recorded with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Arnett Cobb, Kirk Whalum and David Liebman and he has produced a number of jazz and classical recordings, including a 2009 collaboration with country legends Willie Nelson, Ray Price and Johnny Bush and a 2010 CD, Bring Him Home, a debut recording for lyric tenor, Todd Miller, and Hour of Tranquility for mezzo-soprano Sonja Bruzauskas (2015).
His commissioned compositions include works for symphony orchestra, choir, various chamber settings and several scores for film and mixed genre. He has performed extensively as a jazz pianist and with his crossover group, PICO (Paul’s Improvising Chamber Orchestra) and PIVO (Paul’s Improvising Vocal Orchestra), mixing styles and improvisational techniques. His sacred works have been performed locally at Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity Episcopal Church, Kingwood Presbyterian Church, South Main Baptist Church, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church and Mission Bend United Methodist Church, including “The Gospel According to John Coltrane” for jazz quartet and choir (2007), “Wrestling with My God” for choir and chamber ensemble, text by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1997), and “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” for piano, cello and choir (2014). In January of 2011 as part of the Trinity Jazz Festival in Houston, he premiered his tenth jazz mass for choir and jazz ensemble, which included jazz arrangements of twelve pieces by J S Bach. Mr. English has served on the faculties of Texas Tech University, Sam Houston State University, San Jacinto College and Houston Community College. He is an alumnus of The University of Miami and The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University (B.M, M.M.), where he studied composition with Dr. Paul Cooper. Paul English is a registered Steinway concert artist. After several years as music director for the Trinity Jazz Ensemble at Trinity Episcopal Church in Houston, he has recently joined Rev. Scott Painter as the music director at Grace Episcopal Church, Houston. |
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Ivy Mena, Tech Assistant & Office ManagerItalivi (Ivy) Mena (they/them) grew up in the Braeswood neighborhood in Southwest Houston. They attended Longfellow Elementary School, Pershing Middle School, and graduated from Bellaire High School. Ivy started working in the food industry at a young age and later found their passion for working with animals. They have worked at nearby clinics in the neighborhood as a Veterinarian Technician, and now they serve as both the Sunday Facilities & Tech Assistant and the Office Manager at Grace.
When not working, Ivy is either at school studying Microbiology or enjoying their leisure time by spending it at the library reading about astrology and politics. They feel welcome at Grace Episcopal Church. It reminds them of the warmth and acceptance they felt from the church they attended at a young age. They are happy to be here in such a friendly environment and can't wait to see what the future has in store for them. For tech-related inquiries: SundayAssistant@graceinhouston.org For office inquiries: Office@graceinhouston.org |
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Mario Ruiz, SextonMario has served the Grace community for more than 21 years. If you have a question about the history of the church, ask Mario!
He works to take care of our building and campus for the church and school. Mario loves football and especially the Dallas Cowboys. |
Vestry
Grace's 2023 Vestry represents the people of the parish in leadership.
Right to Left: Robert Burlingame (Clerk), Bertha Spadone, Pat Mitchell, Brian Rockhold, Chantal Gaudiano, Colin Dunham,
Gail Keller, Jon Buchanan, Vyonne Carter-Johnson, Phillip Kimbrough, John Hannan
Right to Left: Robert Burlingame (Clerk), Bertha Spadone, Pat Mitchell, Brian Rockhold, Chantal Gaudiano, Colin Dunham,
Gail Keller, Jon Buchanan, Vyonne Carter-Johnson, Phillip Kimbrough, John Hannan